The present invention relates to vehicle seats fitted with hinge mechanisms.
More particularly, the invention relates to the vehicle seat comprising:
first and second seat elements mounted to pivot relative to each other about a pivot axis;
at least one hinge mechanism including a locking device movable between firstly a locked position preventing relative pivoting between the first and second seat elements, and secondly an unlocked position enabling the first and second seat elements to pivot freely relative to each other, said locking device being controlled by a first drive member actuatable by a user, said first drive member being urged towards a rest position in which said first drive member places the locking device in its rest position, and the first drive member being movable in an actuation angular direction towards an actuation position in which said first drive member places the locking device in its unlocked position, the rest and actuation positions of the first drive member being fixed relative to the first seat element; and
a memory mechanism movable between firstly a rest position in which said memory mechanism is adapted to avoid interfering with relative pivoting between the first and second seat elements, and secondly an active position in which said memory mechanism is adapted to:
enable the second seat element to pivot freely relative to the first seat element in a first angular direction away from the most recent adjusted relative position of said two seat elements; and
then enable the second seat element to pivot relative to the first seat element in a second angular direction opposite to the first angular direction until it reaches said most recent adjusted relative position of said two seat elements;
the memory mechanism being controlled by a second drive member actuatable by a user, said second drive member being urged towards a rest position in which said second drive member places the memory mechanism in its rest position, and the second drive member being displaceable into an actuation position in which said second drive member places the memory mechanism in its active position.
Document EP-A-0 694 434 describes a seat of that type intended in particular for the front seats of vehicles having two side doors, and in which the first and second seat elements are the seat proper and the seat back.
That prior art seat is provided with a hinge mechanism having toothed slugs and including a memory mechanism making it possible:
to adjust the position of the seat back; and
to tilt the seat back down forwards, for example when it is desired to gain access to the back seats of the vehicle, and then to lock the seat back automatically again in the position as previously adjusted by the user.
The hinge mechanism of that known seat comprises first and second cheekplates and toothed slugs which are mounted to slide relative to the first cheekplate and which engage a set of teeth itself free to move relative to the second cheekplate, the set of teeth being lockable relative to the second cheekplate by means of other toothed slugs.
Under those circumstances, the two cheekplates of the hinge mechanism are therefore connected to each other via two stages of toothed slugs, thus tending to reduce the mechanical strength of the hinge, or making it necessary to increase the weight and the expense of the mechanism in order to obtain high mechanical strength.
Furthermore, the hinge mechanism is then a specific mechanism which means that it is produced in relatively short runs and is consequently relatively expensive compared with a standard hinge mechanism.
An object of the present invention is to mitigate those drawbacks.
To this end, the invention provides a seat of the kind in question:
wherein the hinge mechanism interconnects the first and second seat elements independently of the memory mechanism, which memory mechanism is in the form of a self-contained assembly distinct from the hinge mechanism;
wherein the memory mechanism comprises:
a memory plate mounted to pivot freely about the pivot axis independently of the first and second seat elements;
a first locking member connected to the second drive member and to the first seat element in such a manner as to be capable of moving relative to said first seat element as a function of the displacements of the second drive member, said first locking member co-operating with the memory plate to lock it relative to the first seat element when the second drive member is in its rest position, and the first locking member enabling the memory plate to pivot relative to the first seat element about the pivot axis when said second drive member is in its actuation position; and
a second locking member connected to the second drive member and to the second seat element in such a manner as to be capable of moving relative to said second seat element as a function of the displacements of the second drive member, said second locking member co-operating with the memory plate to lock it relative to the second seat element when the second drive member is in its actuation position, and the second locking member enabling the memory plate to pivot about the pivot axis relative to the second seat element when said second drive member is in its rest position; and
wherein the first and second drive members are connected to each other by a mechanical connection with lost motion which is adapted:
to leave the second drive member in its rest position when acting on the first drive member by moving it into its actuation position; and
to drive the first drive member from its rest position to its actuation position when acting on the second drive member to move it from its rest position to its actuation position.
By means of these dispositions, when the user of the seat seeks to adjust the inclination of the seat back so as to improve comfort, the user acts on the first drive member, thereby releasing the hinge mechanism.
Because of the mechanical link with lost motion between the first and second drive members, and given that both drive members have rest positions and actuation positions that are fixed relative to the same seat element, the second drive member then remains at rest, such that the memory mechanism is itself in its rest state and does not interfere with the relative pivoting between the first and second seat elements.
In contrast, when the user of the seat seeks to pivot the second element of the seat quickly in the first angular direction (for example, when the first element is the seat back, so as to fold the seat back down forwards as far as it will go), the user acts on the second drive member, thereby not only releasing the hinge mechanism, but also enabling the memory mechanism to take up its memory position, limiting the relative pivoting movement of the first and second seat elements in such a manner that the second seat element returns finally to its initial position relative to the first seat element.
It should be observed that the hinge mechanism of the seat of the invention can be of standard construction, thus making it possible in particular to use the same hinge mechanisms for substantially all types of seat having a back whose position can be adjusted by the user acting directly on said back, regardless of whether or not the back can be folded down forwards to give access to the rear seat of the vehicle.
Because of this possibility of standardization, the invention leads to significant increases in productivity and consequently to a reduction in the overall cost of seats.
Because of this compatibility of the memory mechanism of the invention with standard hinge mechanisms, it is also possible to mount the hinge mechanism on the outside of seats that have already been assembled, when only some of the assembled seats are intended to enable the back to be folded down forwards in order to give access to the space situated behind the seat: under such circumstances, seat assembly can be standardized and the memory mechanism can be fitted at the last moment during the final stages of seat manufacture, as a function of demand. This option tends to further reduce the cost price of seats of the invention.
It should be observed that the memory mechanism of the invention is preferably assembled before being fitted to seat, which is made possible because said mechanism constitutes a self-contained assembly. This makes it easier to fit the mechanism to the seat.
Furthermore, the invention does not require the hinge mechanism to present two stages of toothed slugs, which means that it is possible to use a first hinge mechanism that is simple and strong. In any event, the mechanical strength of the first hinge mechanism is independent of the presence or the absence of the memory mechanism.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more of the following dispositions may optionally be used:
the memory plate is annular in shape and is pivotally mounted on a first plate fixed to the first seat element, said memory plate having a circular inside edge centered on the pivot axis and an outside edge provided with a circular set of teeth likewise centered on the pivot axis, and the second locking member being provided with a circular set of teeth placed facing the set of teeth on the memory plate, the second locking member being movably mounted on a second plate secured to the second seat element so that the teeth of said second locking member can engage the teeth of the memory plate;
the second locking member is mounted to slide in a radial direction relative to the second plate;
the first locking member comprises at least one locking peg which, in the rest position of the memory mechanism, is engaged firstly in a radial inside notch formed in the memory plate, and secondly in a radial guide formed in the first plate, the locking peg being displaceable radially inwards when the second drive member is moved from its rest position to its actuation position, until said locking peg disengages from the inside notch of the memory plate, the circular inside edge of the memory plate being adapted then to engage on the locking peg when the seat back is folded down, preventing said first locking member from returning into its starting position so long as the seat back has not been returned to its most-recently adjusted position;
the first and second drive members are mounted to pivot about the pivot axis, the first locking member having a circular outside edge centered on the pivot axis, the teeth of said second locking member being resiliently urged radially towards the outside edge of said first locking member, the first locking member further including a guide peg and a bearing peg co-operating respectively by contacting first and second camming edges secured to the second drive member, the first camming edge being adapted to act on the guide peg so as to move the locking peg radially inwards while the second drive member is pivoting from its rest position to its actuation position, and the second camming edge being adapted to act on the bearing peg in such a manner as to place the first locking member in a radial position where the locking peg is engaged in the inside notch of the memory plate and where the outside edge of the second locking member holds the teeth of the second locking member apart from the teeth of the memory plate;
the second drive member is secured to at least one abutment which comes angularly into abutment against at least one complementary abutment secured to the first drive member while the second drive member is pivoting from its rest position to its actuation position, with a certain amount of angular clearance adapted to ensure that the second drive member does not drive the first drive member towards its actuation position until said second drive member has traveled over a first angular stroke, and the first camming edge being adapted so that while the second drive member is being actuated, the first locking member is moved radially far enough for the teeth of the second locking member to engage the teeth of the memory plate during said first angular stroke;
the first camming edge has first and second inclined ramps separated from each other by a circular edge, the first inclined ramp being adapted so that the guide peg follows said first inclined ramp during said first angular stroke, and the circular edge being adapted so that the hinge mechanism is unlocked while the guide peg is following said circular edge and the second drive member is moving towards its actuation position;
the seat back is urged resiliently in the first angular direction, the locking peg secured to the first plate, one of said guide faces forming an inclined ramp relative to a radial sliding direction for the locking peg, said inclined ramp being disposed so that said locking peg is urged against said inclined ramp while the seat back is being urged in the first angular direction, and said locking peg having a lateral projecting portion which bears against said inclined ramp, co-operating with said inclined ramp in such a manner as to urge the locking peg radially inwards while the seat back is being urged in the first angular direction;
the second drive member is secured to an abutment face which is adapted to come laterally into abutment against the locking peg thus holding the memory mechanism in the active position and holding the hinge mechanism in the unlocked position while the locking peg is bearing against the inside edge of the memory plate;
the memory mechanism includes a drive shaft which is secured to the first drive member and on which there are engaged all of the other elements belonging to the memory mechanism; and
the first seat element is constituted by the seat proper and the second seat element is constituted by the seat back.